Recommended tracks: “decisions,” “somuchmore,” “bleed”
Artists you may like: nate sib, 2hollis, tonser
gunnr, a 23-year-old from Toronto, has very quickly become an artist who stands out in the underground scene. After releasing his first project, Rogue, in 2020, he stepped away from his construction job and finally moved toward his passion for music. He gained attention almost immediately, yet turned down an offer for a record deal in order to stay committed to being an independent artist and stand out from the crowd. In 2021, he began to make YouTube tutorials to help educate aspiring artists on how to create, mix, and produce music to continue separating himself from the competition. These videos, along with his original songs, have helped him earn over 23 million views on his channel alone.
After building a following and solidifying his place in the underground scene, gunnr released his fourth studio album, +dB, on Nov. 28. The album features 11 tracks filled with hyperpop sounds and energy that show his growth as an artist.
gunnr opens the album with “somuchmore.” The beat is minimal at first, but once the drop hits you’re immediately thrown into a track full of energy. The adlibs and producer tags blend seamlessly into the beat, and the outro of the track highlights the production since there aren’t any vocals. Featuring lyrics such as “I don’t feel the love,” the song gives the listener something to relate to. The emotional lyrics mixed with high-energy production really set the tone of the album and give you a preview of what’s to come.
“decisions” is my personal favorite. This song is even more lively than the last; it immediately pulls you in from the very first second and keeps you hooked throughout. gunnr sings, “I’ll give the world to you,” and the joyful lyrics mixed with the energetic beat instantly puts you in a good mood, making “decisions” the perfect party anthem.
Coming off the energy of “decisions,” the lead single “bleed” hits hard straight away, with a rave-like vibe and intense bass. The song opens with the lyrics “I turn the speakers too loud, want my ears to bleed,” which is reflected perfectly on the album cover showing a bleeding ear. “bleed” is chaotic in the best way possible, and keeps the energy high right before bringing it down with the next track, “pretty.”
“pretty” shifts the mood into something more emotional, with the acoustic guitar intro letting you know the vibe is changing into one of the sadder moments on +dB. The chorus sure does hit hard, including lines like “said I won’t eat cause I wanna be pretty.” The song has a vulnerable feel and gives you a place to relate to gunnr. ”
remember” keeps that emotional tone going with lyrics such as, “what if it doesn’t work out like I thought, tell me what’s the point of all of this?” really allowing you to feel exactly how gunnr was feeling when creating the track. The softer production of “remember” makes it stand out from the rest and gives the album an even stronger impact.
+dB is packed with tracks that really give you an idea of what gunnr was going for when he created this album, songs that blend emotional lyrics with a ton of energy. An example of this includes “said&done,” a fan favorite that brings you back to the classic gunnr sound everybody already loves. Another standout track is “playitdown,” which is easily one of the most hype songs from the project. It’s intense, yet not overwhelming, and hits hard in the best way. Then there’s “noicant,” which reminds me a lot of gunnr’s earlier style. If you’re a fan of his older music, you’ll definitely like this one.
“wastemytime” is another of my favorites. It still mixes emotional lyrics with an upbeat vibe, but this one’s a bit more mellow than the others, giving it a very cool contrast. “somethingnew” switches things up — I find this song to resemble something that nate sib would release, so if you’re a fan of Nate, check this one out.
Finally, “seeingthrough” perfectly closes the album. You hear this track and you can tell it’s meant to be the ending, giving +dB a really solid end and wrapping everything up in the best way.
Overall, this project highlights gunnr’s growth as an artist. It’s full of hype tracks, deep lyrics, and everything in between, and keeps you hooked from start to finish. The songwriting on +dB feels like a huge step up from his previous album, silk in shadows (released this past spring), making this album even more appealing and relatable. +dB proves that gunnr knows exactly what he’s doing and shows why he stands out in the underground scene. It’s clear that he is on his way to even bigger things.
Stream +dB now:
